Netsphere
The Netsphere (ネットスフィア, Nettosufia) is a virtual domain within The City. It was formerly controlled by the Authorities until an incident known as "the infection" led to a breakdown between them, the Safeguard, and humanity. The chaotic conditions that followed gave rise to the long-lasting conflict of the events in Blame!. Structure Physically, the Netsphere operates on computers distributed throughout the City. They are primarily embedded in the Megastructure (Log 11). Base Reality The "base reality" is the real world, as opposed to a virtual reality. The City exists in base reality, and its megastructure hosts vast computer networks which create various virtual realities. The term may be meant to imply the perspective of Netsphere residents: virtual realities are just as ‘real’ to the people who live there, and the reality which hosts the underlying computational machinery just happens to be the ‘base’. Virtual Realities Virtual realities are multisensory experiences created by a computer, typically connected directly to the nervous system of a person. That person may have a physical brain, or their brain may be part of the simulated world. The sensory inputs of multiple people use a synchronized world model to create the experience of a shared space, allowing them to see each other, converse, and more. In this sense, multiple people inhabit the same virtual world. In Blame!, it is unclear which virtual experiences are considered parts of the same reality. It is implied there is at least one main virtual reality in which legitimate Netsphere residents are meant to live, though their population and status is also unclear. There may be many such realities, and perhaps even nested realities - simulations within simulations. Various virtual locations are seen... *'The Elysian Field': A landscape of the Netsphere. The inadvertent entry point of the Bio-Electric Corporation’s connection experiment. A natural paradise with grassy fields and clear blue skies (Log 10). *'The Backup World': An interface outside of the Netsphere proper. A realm of abstract physics filled with strange, organic objects (Log 19). *'The Stygian River': a security border guarding the greater virtual realities and resources of the Netsphere. A river running through a vast, dark space (Log 46). *'The Silicon Control Room': An interface for the physical systems of the Silicon-occupied area in the unofficial stratum. An aquatic world with strange, giant organisms that seem to serve as security agents or control objects (Log 48). *'The Authority Office': Includes a waiting area, and meeting spaces. A vast, covered area, and a labyrinth of shadowy passages (Log 60). *'The Emergency Storage World': A isolated destination for rescued digital minds, controlled by the Authority, and so presumably hosted within the Netsphere. A medieval village surrounded by forests and deserts (Log 64). Travel Downloading "Downloading" refers to the copying of an entity from a virtual reality, or from a digital blueprint, into another reality. When the destination is the base reality, downloading entails the remote nano-fabrication of the required items. The City’s embedded nano-technological systems make downloading to the base reality possible by converting any available matter at the destination into the desired objects. This can occur with violent speed, leaving damage similar to an impact crater. Even living bodies with complete memories can be rapidly produced. In this way, entities of the Authority and the Safeguard can “travel” to the base reality. Only these factions seem to have access to downloading services. Downloading seems to be limited to a humanoid-like scale, and is not a substitute for construction methods of greater scale. Macroscopic systems such as Builders are still required to carry on the perpetual expansion and renovation of the City. The term is obviously adapted from computer networks. It may be meant to imply the perspective of Netsphere residents: the City’s systems are advanced enough that, from a user's perspective, there is practically no difference between running something in a virtual reality, and creating it in the base reality. Forwarding "Forwarding" is a method of teleportation. It is seen employed by Mensab and other entities within Toha Heavy Industries. It is unclear how forwarding differs from downloading, but it is implied to not rely on the City's embedded nano-fabrication systems (Central's scheme was to move Toha beyond the City altogether). Instead, forwarding may involve folding or tunneling through space to literally move objects, or affecting quantum fields to move an object's information. The term is obviously adapted from computer applications such as email. It may be meant to imply the perspective of the City’s more advanced residents: the teleportation method is so established and reliable, that it is no longer exotic, and its mundane name reflects this. Gallery Netsphere ova.png|The Netsphere in the OVA. NetsphereSafeguard.jpg Category:Locations Category:Blame! Locations Category:NOiSE Locations